ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · degree · chip · lean · vault · fall · squash · jam

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — the season
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com